ISLAMABAD: Pakistanis are among the most iodine deficient people in the world, the audience at a seminar was informed on Thursday.

The seminar was organised to mark Global Iodine Deficiency Disorder Prevention Day at a local hotel. The event was organised by ‘TheNetwork for Consumer Protection’.

The seminar was aimed at raising awareness of iodine deficiency.

Senior nutritionist of World Bank Dr. Silvia Kaufmann speaking at the event said that 11 million children in Pakistan are facing stunted growth.

“The use of iodised salts is the easiest and most inexpensive way of preventing iodine deficiency,” she said.

She emphasised the need of ensuring rural people’s access to iodised salt.

Executive Coordinator TheNetwork Nadeem Iqbal said that while goitre is usually associated with iodine deficiency, mental impairment is also linked with lack of iodine.

“There is a misconception that consumption of iodine causes infertility. But the fact is that iodine deficiency causes complications such as miscarriage among pregnant women,” he said.

He told the audience that mild iodine deficiency can result in significant loss in learning ability. “Other effects include increased risk of stillbirth, miscarriage and goiter for women and learning difficulties for children,” he said.

Khateeb Jamia Masjid, Bilal Hafiz Sagheer Ahmed, said that he also once believed that iodine causes infertility in men but after participating in an awareness workshop he learnt that these are false assumption.

A doctor from an international health agency, requesting not to be identified, told Dawn that legislation should be drafted to ensure use of iodised salt all over the country.

“I have visited a number of salt factories in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where they manufacture salt without iodine for Pakistan and with iodine to export to Afghanistan,” he said.

“I came to know that Afghanistan does not allow salt without iodine to enter in the country so all the factories, who are preparing salt for Afghanistan, mix iodine in the salt,” he said.

He said that every person needs a small quantity of iodine, equal to a tea spoon in hiser entire life.

“That issue should be taken up by the government and use of iodised salt should be ensured because this is the only way we can save people from iodine deficiency,” he said.

A documentary film highlighting the importance of iodisation of salt was played at the seminar. A skit on the need for the legislative measures in achieving the universal salt iodisation was presented.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2014